I read this before going to sleep last night. I should be bothered because this was branded by some as horror, but I was not. After finishing the story, I slept soundly while Typhoon Sarika was raging outside our windows. Possibly, it’s because I was left satisfied after reading the story.Lucretia is a 12-year old girl living with her mother on the 4th floor of an apartment building. Loochie (her nickname) seems to be in the minority of girls her age –she’s not popular enough or maturing beautifully enough- to fit in the regular giggling girl’s clique. But she dearly loves Sunny –her best friend who lives in the apartment upstairs. As you can see, Loochie is not exactly an enthralling girl, neither is her Wonderland-like story believable. Would you believe her if she told you that she was forcibly pulled in from a fire escape window, but mysteriously entered a derelict park instead? Would you believe that she was chased by monsters and flying rats across the park? And a stadium is the entryway to heaven? Of course not. You’d think that she’s out of her mind.
I am really pleased with all the metaphoric elements in this story. I think it’s a very imaginative technique to use strangeness and eerie characters to mirror dealing with loss successfully. It emphasized how grief can amass more fear instead of optimism, disbelief instead of acceptance, and anger instead of sympathy. This novella is a very convincing introduction to Victor LaValle’s The Devil in Silver. I was briefly introduced to Pepper, and I think I will like him too.
Book details:
Title: Lucretia and the Kroons
Author: Victor LaValle
Publication: July 23rd, 2012 by Spiegel & Grau
Genre: General Fiction
Rating: ★★★★
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